Ohio State Buckeyes vs Tennessee Volunteers Matchup

Check out our free Tennessee Volunteers vs Ohio State Buckeyes pick and preview for this CFB College Football Playoff First Round Game game in Columbus. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Football Playoff First Round Game CFB matchup.

ABC is covering the 8:00 ET kickoff for this College Football Playoff first-round game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Ohio State Buckeyes. The game will be played at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, with both teams coming in with a 10-2 record. The over/under line is currently at 47 points, and the Buckeyes are -7.5 point favorites at home. The money line odds are +229 for Tennessee and -282 for Ohio State.

Volunteers vs. Buckeyes Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio State Buckeyes
Where: Columbus at Ohio Stadium
Date: Saturday, December 21st
Betting Odds OHIOST -7.5, TENN +229 | OHIOST -282 O/U 47

Volunteers Preview:

Tennessee enters their Week 1 matchup against Ohio State with a 10-2 record, going 5-0 at home and 3-2 on the road. They’ve been favored in eight of their 12 games, posting a 7-1 record as the favorite.

The Volunteers have a +23.3 average scoring margin this season and are 6-4 against the spread. They’ve gone 5-3 ATS as the favorite and are 3-2 ATS at home and on the road.

The over/under line for this week is 47 points. Tennessee’s games have averaged 51.2 points, with an average line of 54.8 points. Their over/under record stands at 6-4.

Volunteers Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 1, Tennessee’s offense ranks 8th in points per game, averaging 37.2, and they are 29th in our offensive power rankings. Their run game is a major strength, ranking 5th in rushing attempts and 8th in rushing yards, with 234.9 yards per game.

Dylan Sampson leads the rushing attack with 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. Nico Iamaleava has thrown for 2,512 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 105.

Volunteers Team Defense

Heading into this week, Tennessee's defense ranks 4th nationally, allowing just 13.9 points per game. They also rank 16th in rushing yards allowed, giving up 106 yards per game, and 26th in passing yards, allowing 178.7 yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 69 against Tennessee, which is the 12th-lowest in the country.

In their recent game against Vanderbilt, Tennessee's defense allowed 23 points but gave up just 213 total yards. Vanderbilt managed 109 rushing yards on 30 attempts and 104 passing yards, completing 8 of 18 passes. Tennessee also forced an interception in the game.

Buckeyes Preview:

The Volunteers have a +23.3 average scoring margin this season and are 6-4 against the spread. They’ve gone 5-3 ATS as the favorite and are 3-2 ATS at home and on the road.

The over/under line for this week is 47 points. Tennessee’s games have averaged 51.2 points, with an average line of 54.8 points. Their over/under record stands at 6-4.

Buckeyes Offense Breakdown

Ohio State’s offense is ranked 5th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 11. They are also 15th in points scored, averaging 35.5 per game. Will Howard has thrown for 2,860 yards and 27 touchdowns, with a passer rating of 118. Ohio State is 6th in passer rating and 3rd in completion percentage, completing 70.3% of their passes.

Howard has thrown eight interceptions this season. Quinshon Judkins leads the rushing attack with 805 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. Ohio State is 61st in rushing yards per game. Jeremiah Smith has 934 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 57 catches.

Buckeyes Team Defense

Ohio State's defense has been a standout this season, ranking first in the nation by allowing just 10.9 points per game. They’ve also limited opponents to 101.3 rushing yards per game and 144.2 passing yards, the fifth-lowest in the country, with a passer rating of 65.3, which ranks seventh.

In their recent game against Michigan, Ohio State’s defense allowed only 13 points but still lost 13-10. They gave up 235 total yards, including 173 rushing yards on 41 attempts, while holding Michigan’s quarterbacks to just 62 passing yards and forcing two interceptions.

Volunteers vs Buckeyes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their ten previous road games, Tennessee has an ATS mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 26 points per game.
Through their last three home games, Ohio State has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 2-1 while averaging 27 points per game.
As the betting underdog, the Tennessee Volunteers have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. Tennessee posted a straight up mark of 2-3 in these matchups.
As the betting favorite, the Ohio State Buckeyes have an ATS record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.